


Valery, what's that? A smile?

by yankeetooter



Category: Chernobyl (TV 2019)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, silliness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-05-15 17:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19300084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yankeetooter/pseuds/yankeetooter
Summary: Valery Legasov's protective boot gets a tear in it, and Boris Shcherbina concernedly checks for contamination.  What ensues is a bit of fluff and silliness, to lighten a dire setting.





	1. Valery, what's that?  A smile?

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this is pretty short, and it's also my first humble submission, so be honest but gentle. The characters are the fictitious ones, and no disrespect is meant to the real people.
> 
> Title taken from a line in HBO's Chernobyl miniseries.
> 
> Just a silly story I came up with the other day...

Legasov and Shcherbina had just arrived back at the trailer after walking through a very hazardous area of debris in the Chernobyl ruins. Legasov sat down on the couch, his heart racing, mentally yelling at himself for stupidity and clumsiness. Shcherbina, outwardly calm, but with a sinking feeling, frantically pulled the sock off his friend’s left foot to see what the damage was. (The boot had been disposed of outside.) 

They had almost been done taking readings in the debris when it happened. They were both so exhausted from the ordeal of the past two weeks. Legasov in particular had barely slept, haunted every night by the men they had sent to their deaths and the ongoing threats that kept popping up. Weary beyond belief, Legasov had tripped, and would have fallen face first into the highly radioactive debris if Shcherbina had not grabbed his arm and prevented him from falling. Even so, the toe of his boot got caught on a rough piece of wreckage, and the seam had ripped. 

Shcherbina tossed the sock aside, which miraculously had not ripped, taking Legasov’s foot in hand, began carefully checking for any cuts or abrasion. His fingers gently running over Legasov’s foot, he looked up suddenly when Legasov jumped, concerned he had hurt him somehow. He was stunned to see a silly smile on Legasov’s face. Legasov did not smile hardly ever. “ 

Valery, what's that? A smile?” 

Legasov quickly composed himself, but a mischievous gleam had come into Shcherbina’s eyes. 

“Valery, are you ticklish?” Securing a firmer hold on Legasov’s ankle, he ran his fingertips up and down the arch of Legasov’s foot a couple of times. Legasov burst out laughing and fought to get away. 

Taking mercy on him, Shcherbina released his foot, and sat on the couch next to Legasov. Putting his arm around Legasov’s shoulders, he said, “Get some sleep, Valery. You’re exhausted. And we have to go back out tomorrow. You don’t want to trip again and make me have to check your feet.” Chuckling he got up and left. Legasov sat for a moment with a smile on his face, then got up to go to bed. He slept very soundly that night.


	2. Valery, what's that?  A smile? (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boris strikes again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I decided to add a bit more to the story, so here is a second chapter. There will probably be at least one more after this. I was encouraged to extend this by all the great comments!

The men in the room stood behind the guy at the console, hardly daring to breathe. You could have cut the tension with a knife as Valery, Boris, and the other men waited to see if the lunar rovers would be a success in clearing the two less radiated roofs. Of course, that didn't solve the problem of the third roof, but Valery was trying to push that to the back of his mind until this issue was resolved one way or the other. 

The operator was running through the preliminary tests, while everyone looked on, somewhat entranced by the high-level technology. Suddenly Boris' raspy voice (which somehow always managed to send a shiver up Valery's spine) said, "And to think we put that on the moon."

Valery couldn't help it. He was a bit of a smart ass, and had a quick wit (not that he had had much occasion to exercise it lately under the circumstances.) So, without much thought, he turned to Boris and said, with a deadpan face, "Well, not that one!"

Boris turned towards him with a look on his face that had are you kidding me written all over it. He said, a bit harsher than he meant to, "I know not that one!" Somewhat put off, Valery turned back to the monitor screen, making a bit of a face. As a result, he missed Boris' smile at his reaction.

Now the real test came...would the lunar rover actually move? They all leaned forward a bit and watched the screen as the rover began to move forward, pushing the debris in front of it. All the men smiled. Boris did a fist pump. Then he glanced over and caught a glimpse of Valery smiling, a rare sight that he couldn't help addressing. A quick, mischievous thought came to him as he turned to Valery and echoed the words he had said to him some time back.

"Valery, what's that? A smile?"

Valery blushed and broke into a bigger smile, then was completely caught off guard when Boris cupped his face in his big hands and laughed happily. The next thing he knew, he felt Boris' arms enclosing him in a hug. He jumped and had to quickly shove his face into Boris' shoulder as Boris playfully ran his hands up and down Valery's side, Those strong fingers were digging into his ribs, causing Valery to try to struggle free. It was too much! What was Boris doing? He wasn't going to be able to hold in his laugh much longer, could barely muffle it in Boris' chest even now. Then the jig would be up, and the other men would be suspicious, and word would get back to Moscow! Oh, Boris, what are you doing to me?

Boris finally eased up tickling Valery, and held him out at arm's length. He laughed good-naturedly, his eyes sparkling with mischief and desire. He briefly cupped Valery's face in his hands again, lightly stroking Valery's cheek before separating from him.

Nobody else noticed anything amiss in the general levity and good spirits of the group, but Valery felt his face flush at the memory of Boris touching him, tickling him, and thought he hadn't been this happy in a very long time.


	3. Why doesn't Boris want any first aid?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boris is reluctant to put himself at the mercy of Legasov.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say, except for apologies for taking so long to write this.
> 
> This chapter takes place shortly after the lunar rover smile and hug.
> 
> Also, I'm not sure if the walk outside was the first time Boris called Legasov, "Valery", but I couldn't remember an earlier time, so if I'm wrong, please don't hold it against me. 
> 
> There's some angst and background to get through in the beginning of the chapter, but then things get much more fun.
> 
> Oh, and sorry to leave you hanging at the end, but I was written out.

Legasov walked around their shared room, much more cheerful than he had been before the success of the lunar rover on the first two roofs. A lot of that was due to that success, but if Valery was totally honest with himself (and he wasn't quite there yet), it had a lot more to do with Boris' teasing of him (and what ensued after) during the rover test. Before the test, things had been going downhill for a while, after they had started to look better at first. They had had that awful fight outside the trailer that day, where Valery had once again been shouting about the inadequate evacuation area. He blamed himself. The evacuation WAS important, but Valery knew Boris' hands were tied (a slight blush at the quick literal picture that shot through his head), and that this was one thing that Boris couldn't deliver on with a snap of his fingers. Down deep, he knew Boris wanted a complete evacuation too, but that issue had been assigned to one of the other deputy chairmen and it didn't help for Valery to keep pushing Boris on the subject.

And then Valery had made that comment about career party men. He hadn't been thinking, but the moment it was out of his mouth he deeply regretted it. Boris' facial expression changed completely, and his voice got real quiet, real fast. Valery had become used to Boris' barking at everyone (including him). He noticed how after each incident, Boris would ease off pretty quickly. Valery was convinced that this was one way Boris blew off steam to help him deal with the horrible stress they were under, but when Boris got real quiet after Valery's comment, he knew he had crossed a line. Still, when General Pikalov gave them the news about the fires being mainly out, Boris had said "Good!", then turned to Valery and added, "Yes?" Valery recognized this reaching out as a way of Boris trying to be positive but he was still horror struck about having insulted Boris, and couldn't recover enough to do more than acknowledge his question with a nod.

Boris had been trying his best to make things good between him and Valery since that day. He made him take a walk the one night, and kept him talking about things so he could judge from his voice if he was still mad at him. Near the end of their conversation, he had said "Valery", calling Legasov by his first name for the first time. He could see how much that affected Valery, despite their somewhat morbid conversation about their boys' fate and then their own looming death. A few days later, after he had decided Valery should talk to the head miner, Valery had exclaimed before the meeting, "I'm no good at this, Boris." Boris hid his reaction well, acting nonchalant at Valery's use of his name, but it was like Valery touched something deep inside him that had been yearning for a long, long time.

Then Boris had made another attempt to clear the air between them, and to drag Valery out of his funk. He had walked in with a bottle of vodka the one night when the miners were making really good progress and seen Valery with his head in his hands. Boris had tried so hard to get him to acknowledge the good news about the progress being made. but Valery was just so overcome about all there still was to do. Boris had no idea! Then he called him Valera, and Legasov's heart skipped a beat. The healing between them had been all bit accomplished at that point, and then the lunar rover test had occurred.

Although things were much better that day, Boris was still determined to see Valery smile...and when he caught him in the act, he couldn't resist teasing him about it, which made Valery smile even more and blush. Oh, that blush!

Valery blushed again as he thought back to that day. The teasing, and then the wonderful moment when Boris cupped his face in his hands and then pulled him into a hug. Valery thought he would burst with happiness, feeling those strong arms around him. And then of course the tickling started. Valery's toes curled to think of it. He had loved every moment of it, the ticklish sensation going through him like a shock, the added turn-on of knowing that he was under Boris' total control until Boris decided to release him from his bear hug, and then the lingering hug afterwards and the increased intimacy. Never mind that, at the time, he had been scared he would not be able to contain his laughter in front of the other men there...now he thought he would gladly go to his death for such a risk.

So now a very happy Valery was going around, tidying papers, picking up trash, things he hadn't been able to find the energy to do for weeks because he was exhausted and overwhelmed. Then, in walking past Boris at one point, he noticed Boris was bleeding a bit from a cut right behind his earlobe. Not near the main artery, thank goodness, but it was enough to alarm Valery.

"Boris, what happened? Why is your ear bleeding?"

"What?", Boris put his hand back by his ear, pulled it away and saw the blood on it. "Oh, I nicked myself shaving this morning, but I stopped the bleeding at the time. It must have started up again, but it'll be fine."

"No, Boris, you don't understand! In this environment, with the radiation and everything, this is serious! I'll grab the first aid kit."

Boris would have objected, but he knew Valery was not going to let up, and, besides, he was already in the bathroom, grabbing the small first aid kit. When he came back out, Boris thanked him and made as if to take the kit from Valery.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Boris! There's no way you can properly clean and sanitize the cut without being able to see it. I'll do it"

Boris hesitated. On the one hand he wanted nothing more than to feel Valery's fingers on him...anywhere. Not just the thought of his touch, but that Valery would be initiating things this time around. Every other time they touched, it had either been happenstance or Boris' doing. Catching Valery in the helicopter when he stumbled, the tickling, the hug, everything. He wanted nothing more than for Valery to make a move, to see if he had it in him. On the other hand...Boris had a problem that he really didn't want anybody else, not even Valery, to know. "Oh well," he thought to himself, "maybe it won't be too bad."

Valery knelt down by the chair where Boris was sitting, laying out the bandages and antiseptic. He reached up and laid a bandage across Boris's shoulder to catch any stray blood, and so as not to mess up Boris' shirt. His fingers grazed Boris' neck and Boris jumped a little, but Valery didn't really notice. Then Valery began to staunch the bleeding. 

"This isn't so bad", Boris thought, enjoying the attention. Valery kept a firm pressure on his neck, which didn't bother him at all. But then Valery, satisfied that the cut had stopped bleeding, began to thoroughly cleanse the area. He didn't want to hurt Boris, so he used a very gentle touch. He used a cotton swab to apply the antiseptic, not even noticing that Boris suddenly went rigid all over. But when his fingers grazed Boris' earlobes in passing, Boris practically jumped out of his chair. 

"Oh, stop it!", Valery scolded Boris. "It's just a little scratch, it can't hurt that bad!"

Boris could deal with pain just fine. But his neck and ears were very ticklish, a fact he wasn't about to share with Valery. Still, he couldn't help squirming as Valery finished cleaning the cut and applied the small bandage. It was all he could do to keep from bursting out laughing.

"What is up with you, Boris?", asked Valery exasperatedly as Boris squirmed. But then a light bulb went on, and Valery got a mischievous smile on his face, which Boris couldn't see from his angle. Valery finished applying the bandage and decided to test his hypothesis. He let his fingers ever so lightly stroke Boris' earlobe, and then run along his neck. Boris could no longer contain himself and let out a laugh involuntarily. 

"Boris, what's that? A smile?" Valery whispered in his ear, even his breath blowing in Boris' ear driving me mad.

"Stop it! Stop it!", Boris growled, while still laughing. "You're doing that on purpose!"

"Am I?" Valery teased, but kept tormenting Boris with his fingers. Boris had been slouched in the chair, and now, between the tickling, and a well-placed hand on his arm, he couldn't get the leverage to get up and escape Valery's ministrations. Valery was enjoying this newfound power over Boris, the squirming, the laughing, and was in no hurry to stop. Boris thought he would explode with all the sensations coursing through his body. He was getting very turned on.

Valery stopped using his fingers to tickle him, much to his relief, but then Valery leaned in and began licking, nibbling, and kissing Boris' neck. This simultaneously tickled horribly, and at the same time made Boris' erection even worse. The feel of Valery's tongue, his lips traveling all over his ear and neck was going to be the death of him. "Valera", he moaned, "don't stop!" 

"Is that an order?" Valery breathed into Boris' ear. And then...a knock at the door, and a "General Pikalov!"

Valery sprang up and was out of the room like a flash. Boris had to call out, "One minute!" and compose himself quickly before getting up to get that door. "Damn that Valery!", he thought with a sheepish smile as he walked with no small difficulty across the room.


	4. The wolf stalks his prey.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boris will have his payback against Valery, but he likes to play with his food first.

The meeting went really long, so Valery escaped any payback that day. By the next day, Boris thought he would mess with Valery a bit.

Valery was certainly expecting Boris to pin him to the bed and tickle the shit out of him at the first opportunity, but to his surprise, that didn't happen.  

Instead, like a wolf stalking its prey, or a cat that plays with a mouse before killing it, Boris began to "play with his food".  Whenever he walked by Valery (and whenever it was safe to do so, but Boris was very good at being subtle) he would give his side a quick squeeze, run his fingers along Valery's neck, or tickle his ears. (Boris wasn't the only one with ticklish ears it turned out.). Sometimes, he would simply lean in and blow in Valery's eat or sneak up behind him and whisper something to him.

It got to the point where Valery was so high-strung (and he had always been at least somewhat so anyway), that the slightest touch would make him jump and laugh. The more high-strung he became, the more of a reaction Boris could get with very little effort. Just to keep him guessing, sometimes Boris would just come up behind him, then do nothing.  Valery's sense of anticipation became so heightened he could hardly bear it.

One day Boris came up behind him, wrapped his strong arms around Valery, pinning his arms to his sides, and began kissing and nuzzling Valery's neck.  Valery dissolved into helpless laughter and tried to wriggle free, but there was no escaping Boris.  

"No, no, stop it, Boris!" he laughed.  Boris responded by nibbling Valery's neck right below his earlobe, sending electric sensations up and down Valery's spine.  Valery's legs gave out and he sank to the floor, Boris coming down with him.  "I surrender!" Valery managed to get out between peals of laughter.

"What, aren't you even going to negotiate your terms of surrender?". Boris pinned Valery to the floor and brought his face right down to Valery's.  "I should warn you, I take no prisoners, although maybe I'll make an exception in your case!" Valery giggled at Boris' taunts, then lifting his head a bit, kissed Boris hard.  

Boris smiled when they separated and said, "Maybe I'll show you some mercy after all!"


	5. Horseplay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valery gets the best of Boris.

Vienna

________________

It's their first night in Vienna and the first day of the trial has gone very well.  Boris is very cheerful and for once he doesn't need to cajole Valery to raise his spirits.  What with their good moods and the fact that they are in an unbugged room for a change, things quickly devolve into horseplay and wrestling.

Finally, both of them breathless and smiling, they ease up.  Valery stumbles s little, bumping into the coffee table, and knocks Boris' half empty glass of vodka off.  The glass falls to the floor and rolls under the couch. Growling good naturedly at Valery, Boris drops to the floor to reach it, but has to lie down fully to reach it.  Suddenly, Valery is sitting on him, straddling his waist.

"Valery, what in the world?" growls Boris, then begins laughing as Valery begins tickling his ribs.

"Stop it!  Stop, Valery!"  Boris dissolves into helpless laughter as Valery keeps it up, trying to buck him off to no avail. 

For fifteen minutes he tickles Boris until finally, Boris has no fight left in him.  Then, like the scientist he is, Valery tests Boris' seeming surrender by prodding his sides a few more times.  When only helpless chuckles result, Valery changes tactics.

Turning around, he seats himself on Boris' bum, then pulls one of Boris' feet towards him.  

"Valery?" Boris asks in an alarmed voice.  He tries to get up, but is still too worn out from laughing so hard.

Valery removes his shoe and peels off the sock.  Boris has big feet, and they are the soft pampered feet of someone who hasn't done hard physical labor in a while.  Using one finger, Valery draws a line down Boris' arch, which brings a new explosion of laughter.  Valery has a skilled touch and glides his fingers up and down Boris' foot for a while.  Boris begs and pleads, all to deaf ears.  Then, using his fingernails, Valery scratches lightly on Boris' heel.

"No, no!  I give up!  I surrender!" Boris shouts between bouts of laughter.  Valery turns around again and leans into Boris' neck, breathing in his ear.

"I do take prisoners, Boris", he teases, "but only for a little while.  Then they either surrender to me or suffer a long, slow demise!  Now turn over!"

Boris complies and Valery again straddles his waist, just enjoying the sight of Boris helpless beneath him.

"Tell me one thing, Valera.  Did you really stumble by accident and knock my glass off the table?  Or did you plan it all along?"

Valery doesn't answer, just smiles his wry smile and raises that damned eyebrow at him.


	6. Putting the Scientist in his Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valery gets a little too sassy with Boris once too often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place the second night in Vienna (one night after the last chapter)

Valery has been just insufferable all day.  Not only has he had another brilliant day of testimony (of which Boris is really very proud), but he's practically strutting around after getting the better of Boris the night before.  By early evening, Boris has had enough, and is only biding his time for the right moment.

Dinner has come and gone.  Boris and Valery have been invited out for late drinks, but they still have an hour or more before a car is sent for them.  Nevertheless, Valery is already getting ready in the bathroom, while going on and on about all the scientists he's been hobnobbing with.  

Valery comes out of the bathroom, done with getting ready. 

"You look very nice, Valera!" (Which he does; Boris is not just saying that.)

Valery is once again the blushing bashful man Boris loves so much.  "Thanks," he murmurs shyly, suddenly disarmed by the compliment.

Boris looks at him fondly and pats the couch cushion next to him.  "Come, sit."

Valery sits down by Boris, close enough to feel his leg pressed against his own.  For a few minutes he is his old self, but then he starts going on again about some nuclear physicist he met, who can't stop singing Valery's praises.

_That's it!_

"Valera, there's one thing," he interrupts Valery's prattling, who looks over quizzically.  "Your tie, it's all wrong.  Here let me."

Valery sits obediently while Boris undoes his tie, waiting for Boris to put him right, as he has so many times before.  But Boris grabs Valery's wrists suddenly and uses the tie to tie Valery's wrists tightly.

"Boris?" Valery asks confusedly, but he knows what's coming.  Boris pulls Valery's arms above his head, then shifts Valery so he is laying across Boris' lap.

"So, you prefer your nuclear physicist friend to me, do you?  You presume I'm too stupid to know how a nuclear reactor works, hmm?  Well, I'll show you."

Boris untucks Valery's shirt and pulls it and his undershirt up so Valery's stomach is bare.  Then he proceeds to give a very thorough explanation of how a nuclear reactor works, drawing the basic specs on Valery's ticklish stomach with his fingers.  He talks about the bullets, letting his fingers poke Valery's ribs in imitation of the colliding atoms.  Valery is beside himself, laughing as Boris caresses his stomach.  

"Stop!  Stop!  Boris, no!". he laughs, feeling totally vulnerable with his arms pulled over his head.  He is helpless to defend himself from Boris' tickling.

"Now," Boris growls, although he can hardly maintain his stern visage, so amused he is at Valery's helplessness.  "Can you explain any better how a nuclear reactor works?"

"Well, of course!" Valery pouts.

"Well?" Boris asks, raising one eyebrow at Valery.  So Valery puts on his best professor demeanor (or the best he can manage while stretched over Boris' lap with his stomach bared to the world), and launches into a much more complicated explanation than Boris had given, showing off his superior knowledge.

Except...after about half a sentence, Boris starts tickling him again, making Valery's words unintelligible.  "What was that, Valery?  I didn't understand that.". 

Valery tries again and again to explain, but every time he starts to talk again, Boris' fingers start tickling.  He finally gives up.  He's not going to win this argument and he knows it.

"See," Boris says, leaning in close to Valery's face.  "I guess I give a better explanation after all.  Now go get yourself cleaned up.". He lets Valery up and gives him a playful slap on the ass as Valery heads to the bathroom.

 


	7. Shower Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valery makes shower time very interesting for Boris.

Valery lay in bed the next morning, still remembering the feel of Boris' fingers running over his stomach.  Flushed, he practically giggled at the vivid memory.  How helpless he had been!  They had gone out for drinks with their new friends later on in the evening as planned, but that part of the evening was a blur.

As he relaxed in bed, he heard Boris humming as he performed his morning oblations.  He knew Boris' routine very well.  Soon Boris would take a long hot shower, something they had both enjoyed since coming to Vienna.  In Pripyat, showers were something you took to remove as much radiation as possible from the day's exposure, not a luxury.  Time and hot water were limited, and one did not linger in the shower.

Valery got out of bed and stretched just as Boris began running the water.  Suddenly he wanted nothing more than to be in the shower with Boris...

__________________________________

Moments after Boris stepped into the shower, Valery came in too.  Boris looked at him in surprise for a moment, but then smiled at him.  

"Valera, let me wash your hair."

Valery smiled shyly and nodded.  He wet down his hair then utterly relaxed as Boris began massaging the shampoo into his scalp.  Boris' large hands moved through Valery's hair, sending little shocks of pleasure through Valery.  

When he was done, he looked up at Boris, a slight frown on his face.  He'd need a stepstool to properly wash Boris' hair!  Boris quickly guessed the reason for his perplexity and smiled gently at him. 

"It's okay, Valera.  I'll wash my hair.  You can scrub my back.  I can never reach it properly!"

Momentarily disappointed that he couldn't return the favor of washing Boris' hair for him, Valery brightened again at the prospect of scrubbing Boris' back. And...a thought crossed his mind and a gleam came into his eyes, a gleam totally lost on Boris, who was busy washing his hair.

 When Boris finished, Valery had him turn around.  Taking the soap, he began lathering up Boris' back. Up and down he ran his hands, scrubbing and kneading at every little tightness in Boris' muscles.  Boris had back problems that recurred from time to time, and always appreciated Valery's ministrations, but this!  This was sheer heaven!

Valery worked on Boris' muscles until all the tension was long gone.  Then he began running his hands over the rest of Boris' soapy body.  At first Boris purred with pleasure, but Valery's touch began gravitating to his ribs and sides.  Boris was in one corner of the shower and Valery was standing right up against him, so Boris could not get away from his touch.

"Valera, you devil!" he laughed.  "Stop!"

But Valery didn't.  Instead, his hands began to explore other parts of Boris' body, and suddenly it was as if every part of Boris was insanely ticklish!  He tried to fend off Valery's hands from behind him, but it was a losing battle. The soap helped Valery's hands glide effortlessly over Boris' body and every surface of his body became Valery's plaything.

And then, Valery's hands traveled lower, over Boris' ass, and still lower. Boris howled with laughter as Valery's fingers began to tickle his balls.  

"Stop it, Valery!  Right now!" he laughed helplessly.  But Valery continued the slow torture, reveling in Boris' abject submissiveness.  Boris sank to the floor of the shower, but Valery knelt behind him, not willing to show his love mercy yet.

Finally, the water started to get cold and Valery shut it off and stepped out of the shower.  Grabbing Boris' towel, he tossed it to Boris, still kneeling on the floor, weak with laughter.

"You win this round, Valera." he managed feebly.  That man was simply sadistic when he wanted to be!  Thank goodness they didn't have to be anywhere for hours yet.

 


	8. Secret Tickling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boris has fun putting Valery in difficult situations.

Boris, Valery and Tarakanov sat around a table in the trailer, trying to figure out how to clear the radioactive material off the roof.  Boris was sitting right up against Valery, their legs touching, an arrangement that Valery did not object to in the least.  Until...

Boris let his fingers run up and down Valery's thigh, from his knee to up near his hip. At first, Valery liked the attention, but Boris' touch began to tickle a little.  Valery squirmed as subtly as he could, hoping Tarakanov wouldn't notice, but Boris' kept tickling him, squeezing his kneecap.

Valery jumped out of his seat as suddenly as if he'd been catapulted out of it, a smile on his lips despite his best efforts to hide it.  Tarakanov looked up quizzically at his odd behavior.

"Are you alright, Valery?" 

Valery could see Boris shaking with silent laughter out of the corner of his eye.  "I - I'm fine.  I just need a cigarette."

Tarakanov nodded, still looking askance at Valery.  "Hurry back, Valera," Boris called after Valery. "We'll continue when you get back."

Valery looked back at Boris' last comment, catching the evil glint in his eye.  Of course Boris would continue when he got back.

Upon his return, Valery thought to sit next to Tarakanov to escape Boris' fingers, but when he approached the table, Boris stood up, companionably put his arm around Valery's shoulder and guided him back to his original seat.

Not a moment later, Boris' hand returned to Valery's thigh, him and Tarakanov brainstorming on various methods of removing the debris.

 Valery didn't say much; he was too busy concentrating on keeping a straight face.  In desperation, he put his left foot up on his knee, dislodging Boris' hand. 

He quickly realized his mistake when Boris slipped his shoe off and began tickling his foot.  He held in his laughter as long as he could, but, like a kettle with water slowly coming to a boil, he knew he was going to have to let it out soon.

Tarakanov had just suggested shooting exploding bullets at the graphite when Valery burst out laughing.  Boris looked over at him with a grin on his face.  

"I agree with you, Valery, Nikolai's idea is laughable.  Nikolai, are you trying to start another fire?  Because the first one was so easy to put out!"

Boris gestured for Valery to sit down, but Valery mumbled something about needing to check some figures and pushed past Boris.  Tarakanov watched as Valery shuffled off, one shoe off, one on.  He looked at Boris.

Raising his eyebrows, Boris said, "Scientists!"

_________________________

A few days later, Valery was sitting across from Ulana, going over his notes for Vienna with her.  Boris came and sat next to him, resting his hand on Valery's back.

Ulana was explaining some crucial point to Valery when she looked up and saw him squirming in his seat.  Boris had begun squeezing Valery's side.

"Valery?"

 Shaking Boris' hand off, Valery stammered, "Oh, it's my back.  It's been giving me trouble."

"Do you want to take a break?" Ulana asked, concerned.

"No, no, it's fine."

They returned to their discussion, and Boris returned to slowly tormenting Valery.  When Valery wiggled around in his seat, Ulana would glance up momentarily, then continue.

Finally Boris tired of his subtle tortures, latched his hand into Valery's side, and began tickling him outright.  Valery gave a yell.

Ulana stood up, alarmed.

"It's a back spasm, Ulana. We'd better quit for now so I can take care of Valery." 

Ulana agreed and left, Valery watching in trepidation, knowing what was coming.  He dissolved into laughter as Boris tickled him all over.

"Corner me in the shower, will you?" he taunted as he ran his hands up and down Valery's sides.  Valery resigned himself to a very long night.


End file.
